Welcome to the Pacific Northwest gardens blog, an online journal on garden related subjects. I will share with you my personal thoughts and experiences as an avid plant enthusiast in the Pacific Northwest.

Lilies Series 3

This is Lilium ‘Touching’. It really is quite touching seeing a lily first open (on the left) and expand into a lovely, sweetly scented bloom.

Lilium ‘Black Beauty’. If you’re looking for an unusual lily that’s easy to get ahold of and virtually indestructable in the garden, seek out this variety. Mature stems have carried more than 50 flowers and buds at one time and it doesn’t possess the overpowering fragrance some people are quite sensitive to. It is gently scented and the green “star” nectaries are simply stunning as the petals mature and curk towards the back! This lily is the parent of so many of the interspecific hybrids like the Orienpets because of it’s breeding background. This lily is a cross between Lilium henryi x Lilium speciosum var. rubrum

Here’s a close up of Lilium ‘Contrast’. You know, when I first got this lily from Dutch Gardens a few years ago, I wasn’t all that thrilled about it. But after a few years of settling in, it has produced this lovely clump of healthy foliage that seemed to be unphased by the lack of water and heat we’ve been having. The plump pink buds have begun to open and the stems have been nice and strong making it ideal for cut flower use. I’ll be dividing this one in the fall!

While not true lilies, the daylilies (Hemerocallis) have been sensational.

While some are kind of messy looking or don’t open properly, the ones that do are quite breathtaking.

This is a seedling of a cultivar called ‘Canadian Border Patrol’ I got from my good friend, Ann Hawes of the Enchanted Lily Garden in Redmond who got it from daylily grower, Roy Eaton. This baby has been the most prolific and the most consistent in flower quality and color out of the rest of my daylilies. The purple eyezone captures your attention and the thin edge of glittering gold just enhances each new flower.

A hybrid who’s tag was lost during transplant, but it’s definitely a Munson hybrid. Munson daylilies are known for the lovely “watermarks” that appear in the center of the petals. Even without a name, it’s a welcomed addition to the perennial border.